Meta-Analysis Supports Vitamin C Supplementation for Prevention & Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease

A new meta-analysis published in the Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience journal examines the relationship between Alzheimer’s disease and plasma levels of vitamin C. Authored by researchers from the United States and Pakistan, the paper finds that deficiency of vitamin C is involved in the progression of the disease. Crucially, therefore, the researchers conclude that vitamin C supplementation is a plausible strategy for its prevention and treatment.

A progressive neurodegenerative disorder with an average survival time of less than ten years following diagnosis, Alzheimer’s disease results in memory loss, functional impairment, and a host of psychiatric symptoms such as apathy, agitation, psychosis, and depression. The largest cause of mortality in adults aged 65 and over, more than 50 million people worldwide are now living with the condition. Conventional medicine offers no cure for Alzheimer’s; at best its drugs can only delay the worsening cognitive impairment.

Evidence of multiple vitamin deficiencies in Alzheimer’s

The new meta-analysis examines a total of 12 studies that were published over a 21-year period (2000-2021). These involved a total of 1,100 patients; 431 of whom had Alzheimer’s, and 669 who were healthy and functioned as the controls. The analysis reveals that compared to healthy people, levels of vitamin C in Alzheimer’s patients are significantly decreased. Noting therefore that unlike most mammals, humans are unable to synthesize vitamin C in their bodies, the researchers describe how maintaining the brain’s delicate oxidative balance depends on a variety of antioxidants of which vitamin C has the highest concentration.

Intriguingly, one of the 12 studies examined in this meta-analysis evaluated a variety of nutritional factors associated with late-onset dementia of the Alzheimer’s type and concluded that decreased levels of several nutrients – including not just vitamin C but also vitamins B1, B6, B12, and E – may contribute to the development of the disorder. Another study cited similarly noted a decline in plasma antioxidants and vitamins C, A, and E in Alzheimer’s patients, as well as lower levels of carotenoids such as lutein, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and lycopene. Such findings are clearly consistent with Dr. Matthias Rath’s revolutionary Cellular Medicine discovery that deficiencies of vitamins and other micronutrients are the primary cause of today’s most common chronic diseases.

A revolution in the practice of neurological medicine

So convincing was the evidence uncovered in this meta-analysis that the researchers propose consumption of vitamin C may be used as a public health measure to reduce the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease. In concluding this, their analysis is in line with other recent studies demonstrating the roles of a variety of micronutrients in the disorder’s prevention and control.

Previous research has shown that in people with high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, supplementing with a combination of B vitamins can prevent brain shrinkage, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s. A recent systematic review similarly suggests that B vitamins, especially folic acid, may have a positive effect on delaying and preventing the risk of cognitive decline.

Other recent research has described how evidence is accumulating that, through taking advantage of their synergistic effects, combinations of antioxidants may be effective not only in preventing Alzheimer’s disease but also in reversing it. As a result, not only are the beneficial effects of nutrition for improving cognitive function and dementia rapidly becoming clear, Alzheimer’s patients, their families, and physicians now have more effective therapy options available to them than many may currently realize. As word of this game-changing development begins to spread, a revolution in the practice of neurological medicine may yet be within sight.